Saving Meagin

Saving Meagin

It once felt “normal” for Meagin to battle emotional extremes, and to even consider harming herself. Only Meagin’s friends and family could see the darkness coiled tight around her. It wasn’t until Meagin discovered our TeenScreen program that a mirror finally reflected her illness and guided her to tools to treat it.

Initially, Meagin turned in her TeenScreen parental consent form in order for her class to win a TeenScreen donut party. She quickly realized the screening offered greater rewards.

“My mom thought it was a really good idea to get screened because she knew something was going on with me,” Meagin said. “I realized that if my mom and my friends were seeing things, then maybe there was actually something going on.”

After the screening, Meagin sobbed because everything – the anger, the isolation, thoughts of harming herself – all finally pointed to depression.

“I went home that day, and I sat on my mom’s bed, and I cried and cried while my mom stayed with me,” she said. “We talked about how I needed to get help, so I got into counseling to become the person I needed to be.”

Not long ago, Meagin ran into an old friend who was amazed by her personal transformation.

“You are so completely different now,” her friend said. “You’re full of energy, you look healthier and you’re actually loving your life. Before, you either seemed so angry or you wouldn’t talk at all.”

Looking back on her former self, Meagin said, “TeenScreen changed my life completely. I honestly believe that I would still be the way I was, possibly worse, or I would be resting in peace, because I couldn’t do it myself.”